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From: dmunroe@copper.WR.TEK.COM (David Munroe)
Newsgroups: rec.birds
Subject: What are these birds doing and why?
Message-ID: <4514@wrgate.WR.TEK.COM>
Date: 12 Dec 90 20:38:04 GMT
Sender: news@wrgate.WR.TEK.COM
Lines: 24


I apologize if everyone here knows the answer to this, but I don't know
much about birds.  Now that rec.autos is in the middle of a flame war, I've
got a chance to post this.  :-)

The setting: Portland Oregon, early October, about 7pm, in a large weeded
field (several acres) near a suburban shopping center.  I noticed about 50
to 75 sparrowlike birds, probably larger and darker, clustered together and
flying in large clockwise circles about 75 feet above the ground.  Sometimes
a few birds would break away, but they'd eventually come back.  Sometimes
several different groups of circling birds would join into one large group.
What puzzled me is that they kept this up for over half an hour (I had to
leave).  They weren't looking for food it seems.  I would think that they're
using up an awful lot of energy doing this.  What's going on?  Are they just
out 'crusing' or what?

Also there is a stream, a pond, and some ducks here.  The ducks are very
elegant in flight except, in my opinion, they beat their wings too fast.
When they come in for a landing (on the pond) they seem to botch the landings:
their wings are stretched out straight, tilt way over one way, then the other
way, break quickly, and plop down in the water.  Is this typical of duck
landings or do they just have problems zeroing in on small ponds?

-Dave